Signing an Exhibit 10 Contract with the Trail Blazers, Why Lee Hyun-jung's NBA Pursuit Is Worth Learning From

Agency EPIK announced that the Trail Blazers signed Korean player Lee Hyun-jung to an Exhibit 10 contract. Although he was signed by the Trail Blazers, Lee is expected to play for the Remix in the G League next season.

That means Lee Hyun-jung will become teammates with Yang Hansen next season, and based on Yang's style of play, the two will likely become good partners on the court. In terms of age, Yang should call Lee his older brother because Lee is five years older than him. However, if only considering their status within the Remix, Yang Hansen is the unquestioned cornerstone and top player, while Lee is not even considered part of the rotation.

To some extent, Lee Hyun-jung is also a veteran in the pursuit of an NBA opportunity. During Cui Yongxi's era, he was already an Asian friend alongside Cui, and now he is accompanying Yang Hansen in the G League. If he chooses to continue pursuing the NBA next year, he may also have the chance to play with Wang Junjie later. Chinese prospects playing overseas come and go, but South Korea's Lee Hyun-jung remains a constant.

Looking back at Lee Hyun-jung's NBA pursuit journey, it can be summarized in one word: 'failure.' He went to the NBA Global Academy in Australia at age 18 and later joined Davidson College (Stephen Curry's alma mater). During three years of college, he was one of only two Asian players in NCAA Division I to average more than 10 points per game, and he became the team's leading scorer in his junior year.

Despite this, from his first NBA attempt at age 23 until now, Lee Hyun-jung still has not opened the door to the NBA after three years. But he did not return home and waste time. Instead, he chose to develop himself in Australia's NBL, adjust his form, and continue pursuing the NBA. He eventually received an Exhibit 10 contract from the Trail Blazers.

Compared with Yang Hansen's NBA pursuit, Lee Hyun-jung's résumé appears modest. But for most Chinese players competing overseas, Lee's path is more broadly applicable and offers more reference value.

Breaking down Lee Hyun-jung's journey shows that an NCAA résumé alone is not enough to pursue the NBA; a player must also stand out. A player needs a clear role, and Lee maximized his shooting ability. He started as a shooter and eventually became his team's leading scorer. Wang Junjie can learn from this approach.

After falling short in his NBA pursuit, Lee Hyun-jung chose Australia's NBL as his next destination, playing while looking for another opportunity to reach the NBA. Since the NBL's level of physical competition is relatively close to the NBA G League, playing there helps maintain his condition and prepare for another attempt.

Young players competing overseas can also learn from this. After going undrafted, playing in Australia's NBL to maintain form is one option, and players can still respond to national team call-ups when needed. Playing in the NBL is also enough to handle competitions at the Asian level. The reason Lee Hyun-jung helped South Korea defeat China twice was primarily his excellent individual form, and the secret to maintaining that form was playing in Australia.

By continuously improving himself in Australia, Lee eventually earned an NBA Exhibit 10 contract. At the very least, he has a chance to play in the G League and is only one step away from the NBA stage. If overseas players such as Wang Junjie, Lin Wei, Zhang Boyuan, and Huan Sinan also want to pursue the NBA, they could consider following Lee Hyun-jung's path.

Of course, being selected immediately would be ideal, but at least half of these players may go undrafted. Once that happens, they can use Lee Hyun-jung's model to continue chasing their dreams. Finally, regarding Lee Hyun-jung's prospects with the Remix, previous guards and forwards who partnered with Xiao Yang received NBA opportunities after benefiting from Yang's passing, with some earning standard contracts or attracting interest from other teams. This could be Lee Hyun-jung's opportunity.